12 Teacher Unions Form Joint Front Against MP's Mandatory TET Order

Over 1.5 lakh teachers face uncertainty as 12 unions announce phased protests from April 8–18, culminating in a 'Chief Minister Request March' in Bhopal

Unified Front Takes Shape

Twelve of Madhya Pradesh's major teacher organisations have come together to form the Adhyapak-Shikshak Sanyukt Morcha, a unified front against the state government's order mandating the Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service educators. The coalition, formed after a joint meeting in Bhopal, marks a shift in strategy — from fragmented individual protests to a single coordinated agitation. According to sources close to the Morcha, the decision reflects deepening frustration over what leaders describe as a policy that puts job security at risk for hundreds of thousands of teachers.

A Phased Protest Plan

The joint front has announced a structured 10-day agitation beginning April 8 and building toward a decisive demonstration on April 18. The roadmap is as follows: district-level demonstrations on April 8 will be followed by block-level sit-ins on April 11, where teachers plan to approach local elected representatives. The campaign will culminate on April 18, when teachers from across the state are expected to gather in Bhopal for the Mukhyamantri Anurodh Yatra — a procession appealing directly to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to intervene. Morcha member Upendra Kaushal confirmed that the phased approach is designed to build sustained public and political pressure, India News Update reports.

The Grievance: Retroactive Rules

At the heart of the TET controversy is a policy question with significant legal dimensions. Shaskiya Shikshak Sangathan president Rakesh Dubey stated that thousands of teachers were appointed between 1995 and 2011 under the rules that were in force at the time. Holding those teachers to a qualification standard introduced decades later, he argued, amounts to retrospective regulation — legally questionable and administratively unjust. "You cannot change the conditions of service mid-career without consequence," Dubey told the gathering, as per reports.

DPI Order Sparks Confusion

A key trigger for the current agitation is an order from the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) that teacher unions say lacks critical clarity. The order does not specify which categories of teachers must appear for TET and which are exempted, according to officials within the union body. This ambiguity has left approximately 1.5 lakh serving teachers in a state of anxiety over their employment status, with many unsure whether their positions are at risk. The Morcha has demanded the order be withdrawn immediately pending a comprehensive review.

Review Petition Demand

A central demand of the united front is that the Madhya Pradesh government file a review petition before the Supreme Court challenging the apex court's ruling that forms the basis of the TET mandate. Union leaders pointed out that several other states have already moved such petitions, while MP has yet to take any formal legal step. The delay, they say, puts the state's teachers at a disadvantage compared to counterparts elsewhere in the country.

Seniority Rules Also on the Agenda

The TET question is not the only issue animating the Morcha. Azad Adhyapak Sangh state president Shilpi Shivhan told the gathering that seniority calculation based on appointment dates has been a long-pending dispute. She confirmed that the unresolved seniority issue will form part of the agitation's agenda as well, making the movement broader than a single-issue campaign.

What Comes Next

As of now, the state government has not issued a formal response to the Morcha's demands or the announcement of the April 8–18 protest schedule. If authorities do not act before then, teachers are expected to proceed as planned — with district-level protests setting the tone for a statewide convergence in Bhopal on April 18. The government's next move on the DPI order and the question of a Supreme Court review petition will likely determine whether the stand-off escalates. For over 1.5 lakh educators across Madhya Pradesh, the TET controversy is no longer a distant policy debate — it is a question of livelihood and professional future.